Goals:

1.  To develop oral communication skills through student led discussion groups.

2.  To develop written communication skills through journal writing.

Resources:

1.  Copies of the novel for each student.
Latham, Jean Lee. (1955). Carry On, Mr. Bowditch.Boston: Houghton Mifflin. (A summary of the novel can be located on the Internet at: http://www.mgprogeny.com/synopses/307synop.html)
 
2.  A notebook for each student.

3.  Handouts with guide questions for each chapter. Questions will be determined by individual teachers.

Time:

Each day approximately 20-30 minutes will be allowed for silent reading, 20 minutes for journal writing, and 20 minutes for small group or class discussion. Time will vary depending upon the material being covered that day and the participation of the students.

Procedure:

1.  Students will be assigned to read two chapters each day for two weeks. (On Fridays, extra chapters will be assigned in order to finish the book during the two week period. Students will have the weekend to complete the extra work).

2.  Each morning, students will discuss the previous day's reading assignment. Discussion will take place in small, pre-assigned groups or as a whole class. Guide questions will be provided to keep discussions on track.

3.  Following the discussion, students will be given writing time. They will be keeping a "log" or journal of their reading and discussion. Student entries will reflect discussion. Guide questions for reflection will be assigned to students, but they are free to write about other things including their group discussion, questions about the book, or comments about coordinating activities.

4.  In the afternoon, students will have silent reading time. If a student does not finish the chapters assigned for the next day during that time, he or she must finish the assigned reading on his/her own before the next discussion period.

5.  This procedure will be repeated each day until the book is completed.

Assessment:

1.  Students will hand in journal entries each day. Criteria for Success: Each student will have completed one reflective journal entry for every two chapters. Each entry will show the student's understanding of the assigned reading. See rubric for further details.

2.  Students will actively participate in class and small group discussions. Criteria for Success: Students will participate in discussion X# of times. Example: During twenty minutes of class discussion, each student will participate at least once. During twenty minutes of small group discussion, groups will be monitored by the instructor and through peer evaluation, with each student participating 4-6 times. The exact numbers will vary due to the individual teacher. He/She knows best what can be expected from his/her students.

Curricular Strands and Concepts:

Language Arts - reading the novel, writing reflective log entries, communicating within a group.

Social Studies - historical events, mapping.

Math - navigation, estimation, calculation.

Science - navigation, use of a compass.

Possible Extensions:

1.  Introduce poetry and other books to the students related to this time period, navigation, Revolutionary War, etc.

2.  Discuss in depth the historical background of the period (the late 1700's).

3.  Teach the students basic navigation skills and how trade works.

4.  Discuss natural occurrences and how they affect the sea.

Sailing into the 19th Century - developed by Angela Hammerlind, Renee Kust, & Kevin Feyen

Back to Outline

This page submitted by St. Norbert Ocean Voyagers Program